Living close to SF, Commuting to Menlo Park (San Francisco, Daly City: living in, cost)

[sausalito]

Several questions:

Where is the best place to live if one wants to live close to SF but not in it, due to cost and parking limitations, and commute to work in Menlo Park?

Is the above situation good for frequent trips to SF and, if so, what is the best way to get into the city from closeby (Caltrain then buses, car then parking)?

Is the advantage of the above situation significantly greater than simply living in Menlo Park and taking Caltrain into the city?

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by sausalito

Several questions:

Where is the best place to live if one wants to live close to SF but not in it, due to cost and parking limitations, and commute to work in Menlo Park?

Do you know exactly where in Menlo Park you'd be working? If you're going to be closer to highway 280, you can commute from San Mateo Hills, Burlingame hills, Millbrae, Pacifica, and parts of Daly City or South San Francisco (they have some shady areas). If you work closer to 101, consider the more eastern parts of San Mateo (not too far east for this town!), Millbrae, Burlingame, Foster City, and maybe San Bruno. All of these are "do-able" commutes, but you will be fighting traffic the whole way. For instance, the drive on 101 from Burlingame to Menlo Park will take at least 45 minutes - 1 hour... and that's the more common traffic pattern, due to Silicon Valley workers.

Is the above situation good for frequent trips to SF and, if so, what is the best way to get into the city from closeby (Caltrain then buses, car then parking)?

Yes, you will be much closer to San Francisco, but still won't avoid the worst traffic... it gets most congested right at the city's entrance, near the 280/101/80 interchange (Cesar Chavez to the Bay Bridge, pretty much). The best way to get there is BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit, which is quick & easy. Caltrain only drops you in one part of the city, whereas BART goes to almost all the "main points". You can then connect to Muni, which is the bus line that goes everywhere. BART is also very clean (for a subway ), smooth, and I think it's even cheaper than the train. If you're living on the 101 side of the Peninsula, the only stations are in Millbrae and San Bruno... near 280, you can catch it in Daly City, South San Francisco, and western San Bruno. I definitely wouldn't suggest driving every time, unless you'll be there too late for public transportation! Traffic sucks even on the weekends (especially when there's a Giants or Niners game), and parking is horrible & expensive.

Is the advantage of the above situation significantly greater than simply living in Menlo Park and taking Caltrain into the city?

Unless you're planning to spend a LOT of time in the city, I'd suggest living in or near Menlo Park instead... the train will get you to the city quickly, and you can connect to BART or Muni there. Otherwise your daily commute to work will be stressful, especially with all of our road-ragers out here! I understand your desire, since I personally prefer the North Peninsula too, but I also hate traffic. I'm currently living right near Menlo Park, and it's a nice area for the most part.